CPG Practice Director

Job description

This is a senior leadership role for someone who has spent the better part of their career at the intersection of CPG business strategy and technology, and is now ready to build, own, and grow a practice. The CPG Practice Director will be responsible for defining Zensar's point of view in the Consumer Packaged Goods space, growing the revenue pipeline, and ensuring that what we deliver to clients reflects genuine domain expertise. This is not a delivery management role. It is an ownership role. The person in this seat will shape Zensar's CPG narrative externally, build the internal capability to back it up, to turn domain credibility into commercial outcomes. You will report into the Global Head of Industry Solutions Group, MCS **What You Will Own** **AI-Native Innovation** - Define and drive Zensar's AI-first agenda for CPG across Revenue Growth Management, Trade Promotion, Supply Chain, and Consumer Insights - Identify where AI and GenAI create tangible business value for CPG clients and build that into our service offerings, not as a layer on top, but as the design principle - Partner with Engineering and Data and Analytics practices to co-develop solutions that are commercially viable and domain-authentic - Stay ahead of how CPG companies are adopting AI at scale and translate that into Zensar propositions before clients ask for them **Revenue Pipeline: Growth and Influence** - Own and grow a defined revenue pipeline in collaboration with the Consulting Growth Office and account delivery teams - Lead or influence pursuit strategy for CPG accounts, from shaping the conversation early to closing - Bring a point of view into client conversations before an RFX exists, identify where the problem is, frame the opportunity, and position Zensar as the right partner - Build and maintain relationships with economic buyers, CFOs, CCOs, CPOs, not just program sponsors - Own new logo conversion end-to-end, meaning personally leading solutioning, building the commercial narrative, and closing, not directing a pursuit team from the sidelines - Develop and own domain centric solution constructs for CPG pursuits, RFXs, SOW framing, pricing rationale, and delivery approach, with direct hands-on involvement, not delegation - Work across Zensar's service lines, Data and Engineering, Experience Services, Digital Marketing, to assemble the right solution for each pursuit and ensure the CPG domain lens runs through the full proposal **Client Excellence** - Set the standard for how Zensar shows up with CPG clients, in the quality of thinking, the relevance of recommendations, and the credibility of the team we put in the room - Actively participate in key client engagements at a strategic level, not to manage delivery, but to ensure the client relationship grows beyond the current SOW - Own client satisfaction and advocacy at a practice level. NPS, repeat business, and reference-ability are outcomes this role is accountable for **Domain-Centric Delivery Aligned to SOW Commitments** - Ensure that IT delivery teams across CPG engagements are operating with domain context, not just technical competence - Work with Delivery Heads to resolve situations where execution is drifting from the strategic intent of the engagement - Review SOW commitments on key accounts and ensure the practice is delivering to the outcome, not just the activity - Serve as the senior escalation point for clients when delivery conversations need strategic re-alignment **Capability Building** - Build a CPG consulting team that can hold its own against Big 4 and specialist boutiques - Define the capability profile Zensar needs, by role, by seniority, and by domain specialisation - Own the learning agenda for the CPG practice, structured programs, client exposure, and knowledge assets that make the team sharper over time - Identify, hire, and develop the next layer of domain leaders within the practice based on visibility of the confirmed revenue pipeline. **Thought Leadership and Analyst Relations** - Represent Zensar's CPG point of view externally, at industry forums, analyst briefings, and client events - Build relationships with ISG, Everest Group, Avasant, Gartner, Forrester, and relevant CPG-focused analyst communities - Publish, speak, and create content that positions Zensar as a credible voice in CPG transformation, not generic technology content, but opinionated, practitioner-grade thinking - Develop a consistent drumbeat of thought leadership that supports both brand and pipeline **Industry Relationships** - Maintain and deepen relationships with senior leaders across Tier-1 CPG companies, built over a career, not from a CRM - Represent Zensar at CPG industry associations, councils, and executive networks - Bring external perspective into Zensar, what clients are prioritising, where the market is moving, and what competitors are doing, and use that to sharpen our positioning **GTM Partnerships** - Identify, establish, and nurture GTM relationships with relevant technology and platform partners, TPM/RGM platforms, data and AI vendors, cloud providers - Shape co-sell and co-delivery models with partners that expand Zensar's reach and credibility in CPG accounts - Work with the Consulting, Delivery, Services Lines and Growth Office teams to formalise partner relationships into structured GTM motions with clear pipeline accountability **What We Are Looking For** **Experience** - 18+ years of experience with a significant portion in CPG, either on the consulting - SDLC Implementation on either client side, or both - Proven track record working with Tier-1 CPG companies, the kind where you have been in the room with the business, not just the IT team - Has carried P&L or revenue responsibility, knows what it means to own a number, not just a project - Has led large, complex IT programs and more importantly, has shaped the strategy that the program was built to deliver - Multi-market experience, has operated across